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Commuters Heave Sigh Of Relief As Traders Stay-Off East – West Road

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12 years ago

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L-R: Lead Water and Sanitation Specialist, World Bank, Mr Hassan Kida, World Bank Country Director, Marie Francois Marie-Nelly and Minister of Water Resources, Mrs Sarah Ochekpe, at a dinner meeting with the World Bank and Minister of Water Resources in Abuja last Wednesday. Photo: NAN

L-R: Lead Water and Sanitation Specialist, World Bank, Mr Hassan Kida, World Bank Country Director, Marie Francois Marie-Nelly and Minister of Water Resources, Mrs Sarah Ochekpe, at a dinner meeting with the World Bank and Minister of Water Resources in Abuja last Wednesday. Photo: NAN

Following the persistent
trading on the Elele Alimini and Rumuji markets along the East-West road which has become a source of worry to commuters and drivers alike in recent times, the change of attitude among the traders has earned them a measure of praise.
Investigations by The Tide indicated that the traders who usually block the main road from both ends on market days to enable them display their wares for business have now stopped the practice.
The Tide reports that few months ago, the Chairman of  Emohua Local Government Area of the state, Hon Allen Nma, expressed concern over the attitude of the traders.
While  speaking  to  our correspondent he highlighted  the dangers inherent in such practices even as he said efforts to dissuade the traders fell on deaf ears.
He spoke of efforts by the Local Government Area in working with the police to make the traders comply as the authorities were working with the chiefs of both communities in providing land for the building of new markets to ensure the relocation of the traders.
Some drivers who spoke to The Tide said it was a welcome development because accidents that would have been avoided were occurring on every market day.
According to  a driver  Mr Doyin Olajumoke, who plys from Port Harcourt to Bayelsa even though the traders were still trading at the corner of the road, “it is better than before”.
The traders who are mostly indigenes of the area who spoke to our correspondent said no body forced them to leave the road.
Adanne Orlu who usually brings plantain to the market told our correspondent that it was better to return home safely after every market day rather than being involved in an accident.
She said in a bid for most traders to attract customers, they were usually tempted to display their wares on the road even as she admitted the risks involved.
However, efforts to speak with the EMOLGA LGA boss on the new development before going to press was not successful.

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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21 hours ago

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September 22, 2025

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Kenya made it a clean sweep at the Berlin Marathon with Sabastian Sawe winning the men’s race and Rosemary Wanjiru triumphing in the women’s.

Sawe finished in two hours, two minutes and 16 seconds to make it three wins in his first three marathons.

The 30-year-old, who was victorious at this year’s London Marathon, set a sizzling pace as he left the field behind and ran much of the race surrounded only by his pacesetters.

Japan’s Akasaki Akira came second after a powerful latter half of the race, finishing almost four minutes behind Sawe, while Ethiopia’s Chimdessa Debele followed in third.

“I did my best and I am happy for this performance,” said Sawe.

“I am so happy for this year. I felt well but you cannot change the weather. Next year will be better.”

Sawe had Kelvin Kiptum’s 2023 world record of 2:00:35 in his sights when he reached halfway in 1:00:12, but faded towards the end.

In the women’s race, Wanjiru sped away from the lead pack after 25 kilometers before finishing in 2:21:05.

Ethiopia’s Dera Dida followed three seconds behind Wanjiru, with Azmera Gebru, also of Ethiopia, coming third in 2:21:29.

Wanjiru’s time was 12 minutes slower than compatriot Ruth Chepng’etich’s world record of 2:09:56, which she set in Chicago in 2024.

 

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NIS Ends Decentralised Passport Production After 62 Years

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21 hours ago

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September 22, 2025

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The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has officially ended passport production at multiple centres, transitioning to a single, centralised system for the first time in 62 years.
Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, made the disclosure during an inspection of the Nigeria’s new Centralised Passport Personalisation Centre at the NIS Headquarters in Abuja, last Thursday.
He stated that since the establishment of NIS in 1963, Nigeria had never operated a central passport production centre, until now, marking a major reform milestone.
“The project is 100 per cent ready. Nigeria can now be more productive and efficient in delivering passport services,” Tunji-Ojo said.
He explained that old machines could only produce 250 to 300 passports daily, but the new system had a capacity of 4,500 to 5,000 passports every day.
“With this, NIS can now meet daily demands within just four to five hours of operation,” he added, describing it as a game-changer for passport processing in Nigeria.
“We promised two-week delivery, and we’re now pushing for one week.
“Automation and optimisation are crucial for keeping this promise to Nigerians,” the minister said.
He noted that centralisation, in line with global standards, would improve uniformity and enhance the overall integrity of Nigerian travel documents worldwide.
Tunji-Ojo described the development as a step toward bringing services closer to Nigerians while driving a culture of efficiency and total passport system reform.
According to him, the centralised production system aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s reform agenda, boosting NIS capacity and changing the narrative for improved service delivery.
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FG To Roll Out Digital Public Infrastructure, Data Exchange, Next Year 

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21 hours ago

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September 22, 2025

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The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has announced plans to roll out Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) and the Nigerian Data Exchange (NGDX) platforms across key sectors of the economy, starting in early 2026.
Director of E-Government and Digital Economy at NITDA, Dr. Salisu Kaka, made the disclosure in Abuja during a stakeholder review session of the DPI and NGDX drafts at the Digital Public Infrastructure Live Event.
The forum, themed “Advancing Nigeria’s Digital Public Infrastructure through Standards, Data Exchange and e-Government Transformation,” brought together regulators, state governments, and private sector stakeholders to harmonise inputs for building inclusive, secure, and interoperable systems for governance and service delivery.
According to Kaka, Nigeria already has several foundational elements in place, including national identity systems and digital payment platforms.
What remains is the establishment of the data exchange framework, which he said would be finalised by the end of 2025.
“Before the end of this year and by next year we will be fully ready with the foundational element, and we start dropping the use cases across sectors,” Kaka explained.
He stressed that the federal government recognises the autonomy of states urging them to align with national standards.
“If the states can model and reflect what happens at the national level, then we can have a 360-degree view of the whole data exchange across the country and drive all-of-government processes,” he added.
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